Bubble tower apparatus



Nov.'12, 1935. c. H, LEACH BUBBLE TOWER APPARATUS Original Filed April 15, 1932 z s F 2 2 i 5 4 3 f/ i. 3 E1 3 /E M m \E! DIET y 6 mm 5 x jvenior Patented 12, 1935 Charles H. Leach, Roselle, N. .l.

Application April 13, 1932, Serial No. 605,014 Renewed April 11, 1935 4 Claims. The present invention relates to improvements in bubble tower apparatus for oil refining, and

total vapor content generated within the bubble tower.

With this and other objects in view, the various features of the invention consist in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the'following description.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 is a section in elevation of the apparatusembodied in a bubble tower; Fig. 2 is a detail illustrating a section of the cribbing on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 is a detail illustrating a plan view of the cribbing with the semi-circular supporting rings. In both Figs. 2 and 3 the cribbing is illustrated without the accompanying tubes passing therethrough.

Referring to the drawing, it indicates the shell of the bubble tower enclosing the upper vapor region t2, the arrangement of the usual bubble caps being indicated at ill. The shell it is surmounted by a reduced neck portion it, which provides a support for a short section of shell 18 of reduced diameter and of sumcient length to include a vapor nozzle 20. Supported immedi ately above the shell 98 is a flat head 22, which carries a series of depending tube bundles i l. The tubes it are of sufiicient length to project well down into the vapor region 82, and to a point just above the caps it. Vapor formed in the region i2 and ascending upwardly therefrom comes into immediate contact with the cooling tubes 2%, and the resulting condensate is run down into a pan 26 located therebeneath. The vapor, after intimately contacting with the tube bundles as a whole, passes outwardly through the vapor nozzle 20, but is prevented from shortcircuiting without contact with the entire tube area by a transverse baflie 2t, intersecting the tube bundles adjacent the vapor nozzle.

The transverse bafile 28 is preferably made in such a manner as to completely intercept the right-hand tube bundle 26 to prevent short-ch cuiting of vapor flow from the upper portion of the bubble tower directly through the right-hand bundle and outwardly through the vapor nozzle. Unless some such form of baffling is provided, there is a pronounced tendency for vapor flow in 5 this manner due to the difference in vapor pressures within and without the bubble tower and the resulting pressure head. v It is important that this bafile be made in such a fashion that it can be inserted or removed 10 without dismantling the apparatus to permit removal of the tube bundles for cleaning and in-' spection. For this purpose it has been found convenient to make the bafiie in the form of a cribbing of rods or the'like, extending between the tubes in the bundle and supported at opposite ends, this cribbing substantially filling the spaces between the individual tubes and offering suf ficient resistance to prevent substantial flow of vapor therethrough. As indicated, the cribbing is produced by two sets of rods 50 and 52, each set being parallel and arranged generally at right angles to one another, the rods being supported at their outer ends between two semi-circular rings at and 56, which in turn are supported and clamped together by several long depending studs 58, carried by the fiat head 22. The rods may be introduced or removed without dismantling the tube bundle, and as the bafiie is independent of the enclosing shell, the tube bundle, together with the bafile, may be easily removed as a unit from the enclosing shell for inspection or repair.

The flow of cooling fluid through the tubes interiorly is controlledby demountable cover members 32 and 33, which cooperate with the fixed 35 tube head to form cooling passages by virtue of partitions 35. The flow of cooling medium to and from the passages is controlled by inlet and outlet nozzles 36 and 37. The cooling fluid, after traveling lengthwise of the interior of the tubes, 40 is reversed at the opposite end by detachable covers 39, connected to floating heads tit mounted on the lower tube ends,all as will be obviousto those skilled in the art.

With this construction, the condensation created by contact of the rising vapor with the tube bundles, rains down into the pan 2% and is thence delivered for re-evaporation through a discharge 212.

What is claimed is:

l. A distillation tower provided with a shell enclosing a vapor region in the upper portion, a series of bubble caps within the shell, condenser tubes located within the vapor region above the caps, a condensate collecting basin interposed between the lower ends of the tubes and caps and designed to collect and discharge a concentrated stream of condensate to the region of the caps, means for directing cooling fluid medium through the interior of the tubes, a shell of substantially lesser diameter than the first-mentioned shell closely encompassing the tubes at the upper ends, a vapor outlet connected with the shell, and means for preventing vapor in contact with the tubes from short-circuiting'directly from the vapor region to the vapor outlet.

2. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a series of cooling tubes, a vapor passage extending about the tubes and lengthwise thereof, and means for baflling the flow of vapor around a portion of the tubes comprising a series of rodlike members extending through the intertubular space between the tubes and substantially bafiiing'the space in which the rods are located.

3. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a series of cooling tubes, a vapor passage extending about the tubes and lengthwise thereof, and means for baffling the flow of vapor around a portion of the tubes comprising two series of rod-like members, each series of members being arranged in parallel relation, the rods of one series extending at an angle to the rods of the companion series and substantially baffling the space between the tubes occupied by the rods. 4. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a. se-

ries of cooling tubes, a shell for providing an enclosed vapor passage extending lengthwise of the tubes, and a transverse baflie for obstructing the vapor flow lengthwise of the tubes, the baflle comprising a series of rod-like members extending through the intertubular space between the I tubes and substantially blocking the space in which the baflle is located against the lengthwise fiow of vapor.

CHARLES H.-LEACH. 

